Through special arrangement with Chicago Sculpture International, more than two dozen dead or dying trees, have been transformed into works of art on Chicago Park District land throughout the city during the last four years.

The 2017 collection of tree sculptures includes the “A”maze”ing Larvae of the Emerald Ash Borer,’ a creative look at the pest and the path it created boring into the tree it ultimately killed.

Check out the story in this month’s Illinois UrbanWoodUpdate and then visit the Chicago Tree Project website to view all of the creations and the park that each one graces.

Also, this month, watch the third episode of Wood-Mizer’s Urban Sawmilling Series. This video features the owners of Van Urban Timber in Vancouver, BC.

I was happy to receive a call from a writer for Tree Services magazine for information about the urbanwood movement. I was delighted to oblige with discussing the Illinois Wood Utilization Team’s mission to putting felled and fallen urban trees to their best and highest valued use. A link to the article is included.

The October 2017 issue of Tree Services magazine featured an article on managing urban tree waste.

“Wood Waste Considerations,” included quotes from Rich Christianson, communications director of the Illinois Wood Utilization Team about putting felled urban trees to their highest and best use. Christianson noted that tree care professionals “are on the front lines – they often know of desirable trees that are coming down because of whatever reason, whether its emerald ash borer, storm damage or utility work – so we’re trying to get them more involved.”

In the third episode of its Urban Sawmillomg Series, Wood-Mizer profiles Van Urban Timber of Vancouver, BC.

The company, started by Eric Savics and Danny Hagge, has grown in leaps and bounds, specializing in the production of live-edge slabs and custom wood furniture from locally salvaged urban trees.

“Van Urban Timber started with a theory and an idea that came from Danny … that there were enough urban trees coming down on a daily basis that could sustain enough fiber to run a small timber business,” Savics said. “What we would do, is provide a free service to go and pick up these trees whether they were coming down for reasons of liability, aesthetic, development, what have you.”

“When we started Van Urban Timber we were excited because we were doing something people weren’t doing in the city,” said Hagge. “We were taking green waste and turning it into something no one was producing in Vancouver. I think that is the backbone of our company. No matter what, we are always going to strive to be recycling, reusing, and I think that’s the way of the future. Renewable is definitely the way.”